Sir,
Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set (eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a ‘remarkable’ price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare’s plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them.
Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice.
You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds, and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside.
I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgment, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me.
Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid.
Yours faithfully,
SIMON WALKERSimon Walker wrote the letter to ________
| A．show his anger to Cosmo Books Ltd.. |
| B．complain about getting books he didn’t want. |
| C．advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd.. |
| D．urge for the final solution to the problem with the unwanted books. |
The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for ________
| A．unlimited number of Cosmo Books. |
| B．a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare. |
| C．fifteen pounds and fifty pence. |
| D．a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare. |
Mr. Walker answered the advertisement because ________
| A．he wanted a set of Shakespeare’s works which was a good bargain |
| B．he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price. |
| C．he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time. |
| D．the set he already had was not particularly attractive. |
Should parents ever hit their children?
Research suggests many of us are likely to respond “no”, and public support for spanking (打屁股) has been falling over the years. But surveys also show that 75 percent to nearly 90 percent of parents admit spanking their child at least once.
I was raised in a zero-tolerance( 零容忍) home for disrespect, and my parents often turned to physical punishment. And, no, I don’t feel I was damaged by it.
Nothing is more annoying than watching ill-mannered behavior from children.
But there is data to suggest that a return to old-school spanking isn’t the answer.
Two years ago , Newsweek reported that it had found data suggesting that teens whose parents used physical punishment were more likely to become aggressive(好斗的).
Murray Straus, professor at the University of New Hampshire in America, has studied the topic of children and spanking for decades. He said that children who were physically punished have lower IQs than their peers. It may be that children with lower IQs were more likely to get spanked, but the punishment may have been counterproductive (反作用) to their mental development, as well.
Some researchers make the argument that occasional open-handed smacks (用巴掌打) on the bottom are not only harmless but can have some benefit.
Last year, Marjorie Gunnoe, a psychologist at Calvin College, studied teens who have never been spanked. There are a greater number of children growing up without ever having been physically punished. Gunnoe’s research suggests they don’t turn out any better than those who were sometimes spanked.
There are some parents who simply cannot control their tempers. But I still believe that the best parents are the ones who are able to offer fair and firm discipline (管教) without ever turning to physical punishment. What can we know from the research in the second paragraph?
| A．Many of the parents made no response to the survey. |
| B．More and more people support spanking in public. |
| C．Most parents have the experience of spanking their children. |
| D．Many of the parents think they should hit their children. |
According to Marjorie Gunnoe’s research, ________ .
| A．the children who have never been spanked do better than those who were sometimes spanked |
| B．instead of harmless, spanking can have a little benefit |
| C．spanking has little effect on the children’s future performance |
| D．the teens who were often spanked are more likely to be aggressive |
In the author’s opinion, the best parents are the ones ______.
| A．who often use physical punishment | B．who never use physical punishment |
| C．who use physical punishment properly | D．who take physical punishment as useful tool |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The author’s parents were strict with him when he was young. |
| B．The author thinks his parents’ spanking did no harm to him. |
| C．Murray Straus thinks spanking has nothing to do with children’s IQs. |
| D．Some parents spank their children because they can’t control their tempers. |
Nickname: Hawaii’s Island of Adventure
Size: 4,028 square miles
Population: 148,677. The most heavily populated areas are Hilo on the east side and Kailua-Kona on the west.
Temperature: Averages between 71℉and 77℉year around (expect the mercury(水银柱) to drop at higher heights).
Beaches: 47 Golf Courts: 20 Highest Peak: Mauna Kea, 13,796 feet.
Agriculture: The bulk of Hawaii’s farming products are grown and processed on the Big Island, including coffee, macadamia nuts and papaya.
Lodging: 9,655 rooms total; nightly rates range from $35—$5,000.
Airports: Hilo International Airport on the east side and Kona International Airport on the west side.
Rental Cars: All of the nationally known rental car companies have locations at Hilo International and Kona International Airports as well as many resorts. In addition, Hilo, Kona and the major resort areas are serviced by taxis.
Resources: Call (800) 648-2441 to order a video, poster, brochures and maps from the Big Island Visitors Bureau. See www.bigisland.org for updated information.
Shopping: The largest shopping centers are in Hilo, Kona, Waimea and the Kona Coast. _________ are mostly interested in reading the passage.
| A．Students | B．Businessmen | C．Tourists | D．Immigrants |
The average population per square mile on the island is about _________.
| A．28 | B．32 | C．37 | D．44 |
The underlined part “expect the mercury(水银柱) to drop at higher heights” means _________.
| A．Things are easy to lose weight at higher places |
| B．Dropping things from higher places is expected |
| C．Temperature is expected to be lower at higher places |
| D．Temperature is expected to be higher at higher places |
__________ are not mentioned as a traffic means to get around the Big Island.
| A．Trains | B．Planes | C．Rental cars | D．Taxis |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．You can see www.bigisland.org for updated information. |
| B．You can call (800) 648-2441 to order some food. |
| C．You can find some courts to play tennis on the island. |
| D．You may pay a high price for spending one night on the island. |
Besides providing a perfect environment for sea plants and animals to live in, seawater has other values, one of which is that it constantly moves, and its movements produce energy.
The most obvious movements are the waves and the tides. Winds cause the waves, and the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun causes the tides. In places like the Bay of Fundy in Canada, the difference between the high and low tide level can be as much as 40 feet.
France and Britain are now trying to use energy in the tides to produce electricity. Waves can produce electricity and some experiments are taking place to learn more about this. One of the most encouraging areas of research uses the difference between the temperature of seawater at the surface and deep down to produce electricity. Waves and tides are caused by ________ .
| A．the same forces | B．different forces | C．their own movements | D．plants and animals |
It can be inferred from the passage that __________ .
| A．waves as well as the energy in the tide can produce electricity |
| B．the highest tide is 40 feet higher than the lowest one at the sea |
| C．many countries in the world have made the most of energy produced by seawater |
| D．it is being tried in some developed countries to use energy in the tides to produce electricity |
The best title for the passage is ______.
| A．Tides and Waves | B．How to Produce Electricity | C．Seawater | D．Another Cheap Energy |
Ted doesn’t like cars. He wants people to stop driving because cars make the air dirty. Ted had an idea. He said,“I’m going to cycle around North America. I want to show everyone that cycling is a fun way to get around. If more people ride bikes, the air will be cleaner.”
He left his hometown with $160 in his pocket. When he got to San Diego, he met another cyclist. The cyclist invited Ted to speak at a big meeting about the environment. He said,“We’ll pay your airfare to Texas and we’ll pay you to talk about your cycling trip.”Two hours later, Ted was on a plane to the environmental conference and to a big surprise!
While he was at the conference, he met Deanna. It was love at first sight! They talked for six hours straight.
The next day, Ted called Deanna and asked her to finish the trip with him. Deanna said yes, sold everything in her apartment, gave her notice at work, and was on the road with Ted 20 days later!
“It was difficult at first,”said Deanna. “Ted got up every morning at 6:00 a.m., but I wanted to sleep until noon.”After a few days, they started having fun. As they cycled from Florida to Montreal and then back to Vancouver, every day was an adventure. People paid for their food in restaurants and gave them extra money. Some people gave them $50 or $100. They slept in people’s backyards and drank beer with motorcycle gangs.
On their way back to Vancouver, they stopped in Edmonton to visit Ted’s relatives. During the stopover, they got married. People tied a “Just Married”sign and tin cans to the backs of their bikes. They now want to write a book about their trip. “We want people to know that you can be an environmentalist and still have fun, ”Ted said. Ted got paid for ______.
| A．giving a talk about his cycling trip | B．cycling throughout North America |
| C．traveling around North America by air | D．attending conferences on cycling |
The “big surprise” he had at the conference was that _______ .
| A．he met another cyclist who wanted to join him | B．he fell in love with a girl there |
| C．he gave a long talk lasting 6 hours | D．he had a lot of fun talking about his cycling trip |
The underlined part “gave her notice at work” probably means __________ .
| A．Deanna was fired by her boss for not going to work |
| B．Deanna asked for a long leave from work to join Ted in his trip |
| C．Deanna told people beforehand that she would leave her job |
| D．Deanna handed in the notice that she were asked to finish before |
During the trip, Ted and Deanne ___________.
| A．found it hard to get up early | B．were attacked by motorcycle gangs |
| C．never pay for their meals in restaurants | D．got married |
Few people would ever think of beginning a career at the age of 76, but one American most famous artist did just that. Anna Mary Robertson, better known as “Grandma Moses”, turned to painting because she could no longer take an active part in the funning of her farm. As she searched for something to do, she discovered painting--- an activity she had loved as a child.
Grandma Moses painted in primitive style, and her works are simple and basic — almost childlike in their composition. She first painted only for her own pleasure, and then began to sell her works for small sums of money.
In 1939, an art collector named Louis Caldor chanced to see several of Granma Moses’ works hanging in a store. He liked them, bought them at once, and set out to look for more. Caldor held a show to introduce the works of Grandma Moses to the art world.
Grandma Moses passed away on December 13,1961, at the age of 101, who had enjoyed a second career that lasted a quarter of a century.Before becoming an artist, Grandma Moses _______ .
| A．wrote several good books | B．managed a farm | C．was a housewife | D．worked as a nurse |
Grandma Moses’ art career lasted ______ .
| A．101 years | B．76 years | C．25 years | D．22 years |
Even if no one had bought her paintings, Grandma Moses probably would have ________.
| A．continued to paint anyway | B．gone back to farming |
| C．given up painting | D．spent the rest of her life in peace |
The story is mainly about_______ .
| A．pictures in primitive style | B．a successful art collector |
| C．a great American artist | D．the secret of living longer |
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